Educators gather for the annual Opening Mass for teachers at All Saints Church in Manassas Aug. 21. ELIZABETH A. ELLIOTT | CATHOLIC HERALD

Members of the diocesan honor ensemble sing at the Opening Mass Aug. 21 at All Saints Church in Manassas. ELIZABETH A. ELLIOTT | CATHOLIC HERALD

It sounded a little like recess — but it was teachers gathering, talking
about setting up their classrooms, learning the names of their new students and
being excited to soon meet them.

During the annual Opening Mass for teachers, more than 1,400
diocesan educators celebrated the start of the school year at All Saints Church
in Manassas Aug. 21.

Diocesan Superintendent of Schools Jennifer Bigelow welcomed the
teachers to the Mass. “We are so blessed to be together to celebrate our call
to Catholic education,” she said. “Thank you for answering the call to serve
God through Catholic education.”

Bishop Michael F. Burbidge celebrated Mass with 20 concelebrants and
delivered the homily. In his homily, he said, “In a special way at Mass today,
I give thanks to God for all of you, for responding to his call to be Catholic
educators,” he said. “I thank God for the gift you are to our church and our
diocese, to our students and to our parents.”

He noted the providential time of the gathering, on the feast of
St. Pius X, “a teacher and catechist who encouraged us to teach the faith with
purity and integrity.”

Katherine Fulgenzi, a teacher at St. Veronica School in
Chantilly, said teaching at a Catholic school means “not only teaching, which I
love, but I get to express my faith, which is something not many schools let
you do anymore.” She believes students get to be in “an unbelievable community
of people. We get to bring Jesus into everything we do.”

Ellen Fitzpatrick is starting as a fourth grade teacher at the
Basilica School of St. Mary in Alexandria. She has a Catholic school background
of 12 years. “Being able to bring prayer into school and spreading the Catholic
faith to the children is so important, and being able to go to Mass with them.”

Teachers celebrating significant anniversaries were recognized at
the end of Mass, including Patricia Bowers, a teacher at St. Thomas Aquinas
Regional School in Woodbridge, who has taught for 40 years. (See the list of
anniversaries below.)

Jonathan Doyle, an author, speaker, educator and founder of
the Going Deeper program used in over 400 Catholic schools around
the world, gave the keynote talk after Mass, telling educators practical ways
to “thrive and not just survive in the Catholic education vocation.”

“Begin to make your problems God’s problems,” he said. “Say to
yourself: In an environment of increasing demands and expectations, I will use
all of my resources.” He asked them the question: “What if you didn’t choose
Catholic education...what if it chose you?”

Renee White, assistant superintendent for the Office of Catholic
Schools, said the educators look forward to starting the year with prayer.
“This is an opportunity to get the year started off on the right foot,” she
said.

White said teaching is a vocation. “Not only are we educating the
whole person — academically, spiritually, physically and emotionally — we are doing so with the hopes that they take
the gifts and talents God has given them and make this world a better place,”
she said.

Natalie Plumb assisted with this article.

Teacher Anniversaries

25 Years

Blessed Sacrament School, Alexandria: Janet Maalouf

Sacred Heart Academy, Winchester: Monica Lapsley

The Basilica School of St. Mary, Alexandria: Loretta Golinowski
and Anna Blaszkow